Partially inspired by some of Barnard College Zine Library's teaching tools and Jenna Freedman's Zines Are Not Blogs: A Not Unbiased Analysis, this lesson plan works with first year students at community colleges who need to learn about research and likely are not familiar with zines or blogs. The particular class this lesson was used with is an arts appreciation course and is classified as Tier I, which means the students will have just started their college career and/or have little to no experience with research.

As the students are learning about the arts and general arts appreciation, there is great flexibility to this lesson. Working with the instructor to modify a former assignment of doing a presentation on a specific artist, students instead create an 8-page mini-zine on any topic of interest to them related to the arts, and in any layout/aesthetic they choose within those parameters. They must use at least two library database resources to back up their information, and cite their sources properly in their zine using MLA style.

This assignment allows students to get familiar with databases and research on their terms, finding information on a topic completely of their choice and expressed in a format of their aesthetic preference. Learning the difference between zines, blogs, and magazines also gives the students insight into the publishing world, whose voices get to be heard in which formats, and how source credibility can vary between mediums.

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to differentiate between a zine, a blog, and a magazine after small groupwork and brief lecture by the librarian

From foundations learned in the instructor's course and from understanding the basics of a zine learned from the library instruction session, students will be able to choose a topic related to the arts to create their zine

Using library databases, students will be able to locate articles on their zine topics

Using NoodleTools citation software, students will be able to cite their sources in MLA style and incorporate them into their zines

Give brief introduction to the library, library website, and how to contact a reference librarian for assistance

Pass out Blogger & Noodletools handouts

Using Arts LibGuide, explain what LibGuide is and how it can be used to search for topic with arts-specific databases

Explain Blogger and how to set up blog following handout w/ screen shots; demonstrate how to insert images via upload or linking to website (students also have the option of making a blog entry)

Break students into groups and pass out 1 zine, 1 magazine, and 1 Venn diagram worksheet to each

Explain what a Venn diagram is and how to use the worksheet: will compare/ contrast blogs, magazines, and zines; will not give explanation of zines just yet, want students to form their own impressions without instructor just telling them what zines are (*clearly it helps if your library has a zine collection -- I was able to bring in some zines to my library, which don't circulate)

Groups can think about aspects like appearance, cost, access, publishing practices, subject matter, authorship, and credibility for points of comparison

Class discussion; groups re-convene as full class and librarian will fill in Venn diagram drawn on board with student ideas. Get students to think about less obvious differences and attributes, draw out deeper thoughts and perspectives.

Demo Student Research Center or other database of use (explain can use other sources based on topic via Arts LibGuide or library homepage search by topic); students will follow along sample search for yarnbombing or try out own topic ideas

Set up NoodleTools accounts and cite one source

Pass out sample zine (yarnbombing) for example of a final product (along with folding instructions); (sample zine seemed to really help students understand how their zines could turn out and that the assignment could be fun)